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Grand Opening

SINGAPORE, 7 December 2012 – Singapore’s first integrated resort Resorts World Sentosa marked its Grand Opening today with a forecast of 17 million visitors for 2013.

The S$7 billion resort has welcomed more than 45 million guests since opening in January 2010. It opened the second of its two anchor attractions a fortnight ago; The Marine Life Park, which is also the world’s largest oceanarium with 100,000 fishes from 800 species, is expected to draw at least 1 million more visitors to the resort in 2013. The resort’s other major key attraction is Universal Studios Singapore.

Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman of the Genting Group which owns Resorts World Sentosa, said: “In 2006, we began with a vision to build a destination resort like no other. Six years on, we have taken our vision into reality, and turned the page for Singapore’s tourism story. The resort has built itself into one of the most desired destinations for families in Asia. Even as the global economy teeters on uncertainty, we remain confident of surpassing our 2012 attendance of 16 million visitors for next year. ”

RWS’s Grand Opening begins with a ceremony officiated by the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong. Mr Lee will unveil an 8-meter sculpture commissioned for the event, Infinity, at a center spot of the Resort, symbolising the Resort’s infinite moments of family fun and excitement.

A gala dinner follows where 1,600 guests will dine on a banquet prepared by 28 Michelin-star chef Joël Robuchon and Singapore’s own celebrity chef Sam Leong. Entertainment for the evening includes performances by soprano Sarah Brightman and China artist Sun Nan at the Resorts World Convention Centre’s Compass Ballroom.

Among the guests will be beneficiaries from the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled (MINDS), who are also the craftsmen behind the evening’s souvenirs.

Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) aims to provide employment training and development opportunities for Persons with Intellectual Disability (PWIDs).

For public guests, the highlight for the evening is a 12-minute firework display synchronised with the world’s largest animatronics performance – Crane Dance – at the Resort’s waterfront. Public performances by local bands and a capella groups will take place across the Resort over the weekend.

Image courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa

Tan Sri Lim added: “Today’s Grand Opening marks a momentous chapter in our journey. We stay committed in ensuring that Resorts World Sentosa continues to be an exceptional destination.” Over the next three months, Universal Studios Singapore will launch a new attraction, the Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase. This will be the world’s first Sesame Street indoor theme park ride specifically designed for the entire family.

At Marine Life Park, new immersive experiences such as ray-feeding, shark and dolphin interaction programmes, as well as sea trek diving and new education and conservation programmes will be progressively rolled out. New entertainment, including a new resident show at its Festive Grand theatre, will be introduced in 2013.From today onwards, RWS will introduce discounted bundled day passes to its anchor attractions – Universal Studios Singapore and Marine Life Park (Refer to Annex B).

Pictures from Press Conference:

ABOUT RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Singapore’s first integrated resort is located on the resort island of Sentosa. Spanning 49 hectares, the resort opened in January 2010 and welcomed over 30 million visitors in its first two years of opening. RWS is home to the region’s first-and-only Universal Studios theme park, the world’s largest oceanarium – Marine Life Park, the Maritime Experiential Museum, a casino, luxurious accommodation in six unique hotels, the Resorts World Convention Centre, celebrity chef restaurants, a world-class spa as well as specialty retail outlets. The resort also offers entertainment including a resident magical spectacular – Incanto, and public attractions such as the Crane Dance and the Lake of Dreams. Resorts World Sentosa is wholly owned by Genting Singapore, a company of the Genting Group. For more information, please visit www.rwsentosa.com.

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The American Idol series didn’t hit me until the media went nuts about Idol participant William Hung’s off-key rendition Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”. Quite remarkably, that was Season 3 with a world record breaking number of viewers bringing Season 10 to a close just recently. With Season 3 also came Fantasia Barrino (winner of American Idol Season 3) who was originally scheduled to appear on the red carpet but on the eve of my trip to the event, I received an update that she wasn’t appearing. It’s little wonder the name Kimberly Caldwell didn’t immediate ring a bell as she’s “perhaps best known as a second season contestant on television phenomenon American Idol, Caldwell struck a chord with millions of the show’s viewers thanks to her gutsy vocals, passionate performances, and earthy charisma. ” according to her biography.

“Putting out my debut album is the ultimate dream come true,” says Kimberly Caldwell about her upcoming release Without Regret. “I’ve been a performer my entire life and everything I’ve done has led up to this moment. I’m looking forward to people finally getting to know the real me, because I’m laying it all out there for them on this album.” — Kimberly Caldwell Biography

Caldwell developed her fierce determination through a childhood that had its share of obstacles. Born in Katy, Texas, she describes herself as an attention-seeking kid who would climb on the coffee table, throw her hands in the air, and scream, “Look at me! I can do this!”To help her deliver the authentic vocal performances she knew the songs required, Caldwell turned to producer Marshall Altman who has worked with singer-songwriters Matt Nathanson, Marc Broussard, and Kate Voegele, among others. “Marshall was amazing because he really welcomed all the emotion that went into making this record,” Caldwell says. “He taught me to embrace the imperfections — to stop worrying about every note being perfect and just let go.”Known for her "gutsy vocals" Kimberly Caldwell belts out a tune to the listening pleasure of the cheering crowd and seated VIPs across the street.

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Never before has there been an artist who has been equally recognized, awarded and celebrated both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, as has Paula Abdul. As a ground-breaking choreographer, dancer, cheerleader, song writer, performer, designer, actor, business woman and well-known host on the most popular television show [American Idol] in the world, Paula continues to find new ways to entertain her loyal fans for over 20 years. Paula joins other celebrities for the grand opening of Universal Studios Singapore event including Hong Kong screen icon Maggie Cheung, action star Jet Li and actress Vicki Zhao from China and American Idol 2 finalist Kimberly Caldwell.

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